We read a lot at our house, and we tend to read the same books over and over again. This is probably true of typical children as well, but H., with his autism, is probably even more prone to want repeated readings of the same book. There are books that I have “disappeared” from the house because I couldn’t take another reading (goodbye, “Elmo Loves You”! don’t let the door hit you). Others I gladly read over and over again.

One such book is “The Amazing Bone” by William Steig. We were originally turned on to this book by an animated DVD of it, wonderfully narrated by actor John Lithgow, that H. received for Christmas last year. The DVD also contains two other William Steig stories, “Pete’s a Pizza” and “Dr. DeSoto”, both of which we’ve since enjoyed in book-form.

The best books for kids, I think, are those that also appeal to adults—and Steig’s books do so because they are a bit off-beat. They feature characters (often animals) who are rather odd, yet strangely believable. In the case of “The Amazing Bone”, the main characters are a young female pig named Pearl and a talking bone whom she finds and decides to take home with her. On the way they are accosted by both robbers and a fox (Steig was fond of using foppish foxes – dressed in 3-piece suits, carrying walking canes — as villains). Pearl and the talking bone triumph through both bravery and magic.

In reading reviews of this book on Amazon, I note that some parents have complained of this book’s violence. It’s true there is a robbery scene in which masked criminals brandish guns and a knife, and in another scene Pearl, locked in a room in the fox’s house, listens to the fox prepare to cook her. Depending on the sensitivity and age of your child, you may want to preview this book before reading it to your child.

“Pete’s a Pizza”, on the other hand, is a sweet story for all ages of a glum boy, whose ingenious parents decide to cheer him up by making him into a pizza: they roll him, spread cheese on him, bake him, etc.

“Dr. DeSoto” is about a mouse who happens to be a dentist (or a dentist who happens to be a mouse), and once again features a foppish fox —this time with a bad toothache. There is no violence here, but the story is a bit sophisticated and may not be readily understood by tiny tots.

Overall, these are amusing, unusual and literate books for both children and their parents—and the DVD is a gem as well. In fact, I’m not sure if H. actually demands repeated readings and viewings of these, or if we are foisting them upon him for our own selfish motives.